Common Cause Events
Dialogue on Social Accountability and Commons --- September 2, 2022
Anshi Beohar*
The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Social Accountability Forum for Action and Research (SAFAR) and the Institute of Public Policy, National Law School of India University (NLSIU) came together to seek the endorsement of a wider group of organisations, campaigns and networks on accountability of Commons. The first in a series of dialogues on Accountability and Commons, the event was co-organised by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and School for Democracy. It was held on September 2, 2022 at National Law School of India University, Bangalore.
Academicians from NLSIU (Dr Usha Ramanathan), TISS Mumbai (Prof Geetanjoy Sahu), Azim Premji University (Dr Himanshu Upadhyay), etc were joined by experts from the field like Mr Nikihil Dey (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan), Mr Sreedhar Ramamurthi (Environics Trust), Kavitha Kuruganti (ASHA Kisan Swaraj), etc to conduct a discourse around understanding the governance of Commons, identifying key stakeholders and discussing ways to ensure transparency and accountability in this arena.
The first session was centred around thoughts on “What are the commons and how are they under threat today?”. The second session took a deep dive on “Exploring accountability of the Commons: Accountability of whom and to whom?”. This was followed by a presentation on emerging concepts on social accountability of commons.
The dialogue series aims to develop a working framework for social accountability related to the commons, based on lived realities, experiences and struggles of a wide network of practitioners, activists and concerned citizens. These meetings are aimed to create a shared understanding of the challenges and possibilities for deepening accountability, transparency, and participatory governance across various manifestations of commons.
International Colloquium on Criminal Justice in Numbers --- August 27-28, 2022
Radhika Jha*
On September 27th and 28th, 2022, an International Colloquium on “Criminal Justice in Numbers” was organised by the Centre for Criminology, Criminal Justice and Victimology of the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab in collaboration with the India Justice Report team. The colloquium brought together some of the most significant efforts in data-based research on criminal justice, both in India as well as internationally. Some of the presenters included officials from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), and serving judicial and police officers also participated in the two-day event. Ms Radhika Jha from Common Cause presented the key findings of the Status of Policing in India Report (SPIR) series. The event was attended by the District Collector of Patiala, Mrs Sakshi Sawhney and Hon’ble Justice A G Masih, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court.
